A startup called Rex Animal Health wants to protect livestock from illnesses that can quickly turn into epidemics, and help farmers breed animals with the healthiest and most attractive traits. Today at Disrupt SF, Rex unveiled technology to help veterinarians provide clinical support at the point on the farm, and predict the genetic causes of problematic traits in their herds, and in the… Read Moretechnology news

Tesla topping the 300 mile per charge rating with its new 100 kWh battery was a big deal, but a new zero emission bus debuted today by Proterra has actually managed 600 miles out of a full battery in testing. In a real-world setting, Proterra’s new Catalyst E2 will probably manage somewhere between 194 and 350 miles in actual use settings – but that’s plenty according to… Read Moretechnology news

A startup based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, Phononic, wants to make refrigeration and temperature control far more efficient, and steadier, than is possible with traditional systems. Instead of relying on vapor compressors, fans, chillers or passive heat sinks, Phononic makes semiconductors that are smaller than a dime, and actively remove heat from the places or… Read Moretechnology news

Toyota’s Prius Prime is an updated take on the company’s popular hybrid, with more emphasis on the EV aspects of the vehicle, including a battery with double the driving capacity, and a few other tweaks that push the car closer toward the EV end of its dual identity, including an acceleration feature that lets the electric motor handle much of the pick-up when you first put your… Read Moretechnology news

BMW plans to accelerate its electric vehicle plans, in the wake of an executive shake-up and leading into a vote planned for the end of this month. The new BMW expanded electric lineup will kindle fully battery-powered versions of the Mini, the BMW 3 Series and the X4 SUV. The company has previously discussed plans to electrify the 3 Series and other vehicles, but German’s… Read Moretechnology news

At a press conference in San Francisco today, Ford Motor Co. president and CEO Mark Fields announced that the company had both acquired a rideshare startup called Chariot and made a significant investment in expanding the region’s bike-share program. Ford’s sponsorship will see the Bay Area’s supply of shareable bikes expand from 700 to 7,000 by 2018, with 1,350 bikes going… Read Moretechnology news

China is looking at electric vehicles as a key way to lower emissions and improve the country’s general environmental sustainability, and Volkswagen is teaming up with China state-owned car maker Anhui Jianghuai (JAC) to help fill that need.
The two car companies signed a memorandum of understanding today, effectively paving the way for them to create a new joint venture to develop… Read Moretechnology news

Tesla may have a range of vehicle showrooms across North America, but those can’t cover everyone, and it’s even more difficult for the average potential Tesla buyer to get to the company’s primary design studio in Hawthorne, so the automaker’s new ‘Tesla Explores‘ initiative is aiming to bring a taste of the design studio to you. The program is a… Read Moretechnology news

How do you make a dent in the energy market? SolarCity is likely one of the few companies that has a good idea of how to answer that question, and one part of its plan includes replacing the roofs of 5 million U.S. homes with solar cells, according to The Guardian. It’s a plan that SolarCity board chairman Elon Musk first tipped on a conference call last month, but now we have a bit… Read Moretechnology news